Biafra: Finland assures Nigeria of collaboration on Simon Ekpa’s case

The Finnish government has assured Nigeria of collaboration on the case of the factional leader of the separatist Indigenous People of Biafra, (IPOB),Simon Ekpa, who resides in Finland.

Finland’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Elina Valtonen, gave this assurance during a press briefing in Abuja, on Tuesday.

Ekpa, who resides in Finland, leads a faction of IPOB known as Autopilot, which has been pushing for the creation of an independent state of Biafra, encompassing Nigeria’s South-East and parts of the South-South regions.

Ekpa, is also alleged to have played a key role in instigating violence in Nigeria, particularly through the enforcement of a controversial sit-at-home order in the South East and other attacks on security personnel.

Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, had on Tuesday engaged in high-level discussions with the Foreign Ministers of Sweden, Finland, Iceland, and as well as representatives from Norway and Denmark.

The delegation includes the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Sweden, Tobias Billström; the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Finland, Ms Elina Valtonen; Minister for Foreign Affairs of Iceland; Ms Thórdís Kolbrún Reykfjörd Gylfadóttir; the State Secretary for International Development, Norway, Bjørg Sandkjær, and Under Secretary for Foreign Policy, Denmark, Eva Marie Frida Barløse.

Tuggar, after the discussion with the five nordic delegates confirmed that Ekpa issue was a central topic in his discussions with Valtonen.